Ashgabat, 30 July 2009 – The UNDP Project “Development of Local Self-Governance in Turkmenistan” has entered into partnership with the recently opened Civil Service Academy to provide trainings on the fundamentals and best practices of local self-governance as part of the short-term refresher courses for civil servants of Turkmenistan. Training modules were developed by a team of UNDP international and national experts whose recommendations laid the ground for the concept of cooperation between the Turkmen Parliament, the Civil Service Academy of Turkmenistan and UNDP. Training modules were introduced into the academy’s curriculum by the project’s implementing partner, the Turkmen Parliament, following their successful piloting in six districts in 2008.

During March-June 2009, two groups totaling 75 civil servants from all five provinces of Turkmenistan completed a refresher course at the Academy. Apart from the general training course at the Academy, civil servants also attended seminars at the Turkmen Parliament on the aspects of implementation of laws and normative documents in relation to local self-governance. 

“Seminars and consultations for civil servants at the Turkmen Parliament are only the beginning of a comprehensive educational programme aimed at professional development of staff and members of local self-governance bodies. In the near future, within the framework of our joint project with UNDP, we plan to organize study tours abroad to learn about international experience on local self-governance issues and invite foreign experts to provide technical and methodological assistance,” said Akja Nurberdiyeva, chairwoman of the Parliament. 

During the training sessions at the Turkmen Parliament, the participants familiarized themselves with activities of the committee for local self-governance bodies, learned different approaches and mechanisms to the development and management of local budgets, and looked into the legislative basis regulating the interaction between local self-governance bodies and local authorities.

UNDP in partnership with the Turkmen Parliament plans to continue trainings on local self-governance topics for civil servants on long-term and regular basis.

The UNDP Project “Development of Local Self-Governance in Turkmenistan” will also continue with its training programme on planning and social partnership for newly elected members of local self-governance bodies in pilot districts. It is expected that after undergoing such trainings new members of local self-governance bodies will be equipped with methodologies and approaches that will lead to the improvement of social services at the local level.

The UNDP Project “Development of Local Self-Governance in Turkmenistan” started in 2007. The project is implemented jointly with the Parliament of Turkmenistan. The project aims at improving the quality of services provided at the local level through strengthening the capacity of local self-governance bodies and improving the legal and policy environment for further development of local governance. 

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